Alcorn State University will cut the ribbon on its Small Business Development Center on Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. in the Dr. Rudolph E. Waters Classroom Building in the School of Business Atrium.
The center is the newest addition to the Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network and will serve nine counties in southwest Mississippi — Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Copiah, Franklin, Jefferson, Pike, Wilkinson and Warren.
“We’re excited to welcome Alcorn State University into the MSBDCN family,” said Sharon Nichols, state director of the Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network. “This collaboration not only brings new SBDC centers to the region—it connects students, faculty, and local entrepreneurs to real-world resources that turn ideas into thriving Mississippi businesses.”
The center will provide one-on-one coaching, workshops on finance, marketing and legal topics, and support for rural and underserved communities. The initiative aims to help home-based ventures grow into enterprises while enabling students to graduate with both a degree and a business plan.
“The establishment of the Mississippi Small Business Development Center at Alcorn State represents a milestone for both the university and the southwest Mississippi region,” said Dr. Antwon D. Woods, dean of the School of Business at Alcorn State University. “By emphasizing entrepreneurship, it will supply essential resources, training, and support for emerging business leaders, thereby nurturing an environment conducive to innovation. This initiative aims to empower individual entrepreneurs while also uplifting the entire community, paving the way for a brighter economic future.”
Jarita King, director of the center, said the facility will serve as more than a resource.
“It’s a hub where ideas become opportunity,” King said. “We’re helping small and micro-businesses grow from home-based ventures to thriving enterprises, while empowering students to graduate with both a degree and a business plan. It’s an honor to lead the first SBDC in Southwest Mississippi.”
The center will focus on promoting innovation in rural businesses, collaborating with local and regional stakeholders and positioning Alcorn State as leader for small business development.
